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Effects of long term storage on stingless bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae:

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DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2016.1186404

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Effects of long term storage on stingless bee

(Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) honey

Bajaree Chuttong, Yaowaluk Chanbang, Korawan Sringarm & Michael

Burgett

To cite this article: Bajaree Chuttong, Yaowaluk Chanbang, Korawan Sringarm & Michael
Burgett (2016): Effects of long term storage on stingless bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae:
Meliponini) honey, Journal of Apicultural Research, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2016.1186404

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 Journal of Apicultural Research, 2016
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2016.1186404

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effects of long term storage on stingless bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)
honey
Bajaree Chuttonga,b*, Yaowaluk Chanbanga,c, Korawan Sringarmd and Michael Burgette
a
Postharvest Technology Research Institute, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; bScience and Technology Research Institute, Chiang
Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; cFaculty of Agriculture, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang
Mai, Thailand; dFaculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand; eDepartment
of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
(Received 15 April 2015; accepted 27 October 2015)

The long term storage effects on stingless bee (Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni) honey from SE Asia (Thailand) were exam-
ined using physicochemical parameters. Fresh stingless bee honey was stored at 4, 30, and 45 ˚C for 6 and 12 months.
The results show that the moisture, ash, and electrical conductivity change little over time and temperature storage.
The total acidity increased when stored for 6 and 12 months. pH, diastase, and HMF demonstrated statistically signifi-
Downloaded by [Dr Bajaree Chuttong] at 10:31 13 June 2016

cant changes for both time and temperature storage. The carbohydrates (fructose, glucose, and maltose) decreased
during time and temperature storage, but the changes were not statistically significant. Storage for the longest time
period (12 months) and highest temperature (45 ˚C) resulted in the greatest changes. Storage at 4 ˚C for 12 months
resulted in the least change and the honey was, by and large, unchanged from fresh honey.

Efectos del almacenamiento a largo plazo en la miel de abejas sin aguijón (Hymenoptera: Meliponini: Apidae)

Los efectos del almacenamiento a largo plazo de la miel de la abeja sin aguijón (Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni) de
sureste de Asia (Tailandia) han sido examinados mediante el uso de parámetros fı́sico-quı́micos. La miel de abejas
sin aguijón fresca se almacenó a 4 ˚C, 30 ˚C y 45 ˚C durante 6 y 12 meses. Los resultados muestran que la
humedad, las cenizas y la conductividad eléctrica cambian poco con el tiempo y la temperatura de almacenamiento.
La acidez total se incrementó cuando se almacena durante 6 y 12 meses. El pH, la concentración de diastasa y el
HMF demostraron cambios estadı́sticamente significativos en relación con el tiempo y la temperatura de almace-
namiento. Los hidratos de carbono (fructosa, glucosa y maltosa) disminuyeron durante el tiempo y la temperatura
de almacenamiento, pero los cambios no fueron estadı́sticamente significativos. El almacenamiento durante un
perı́odo mayor de tiempo (12 meses) y a temperatura más alta (45 ˚C) originaron los mayores cambios. El alma-
cenamiento a 4 ˚C durante 12 meses originó el menor cambio y la miel varió, en general, mucho menos en
relación con la miel fresca.
Keywords: honey storage; physicochemical analysis; Meliponini; stingless bee; Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni; South East
Asia

Introduction carbohydrates) are important parameters for determin-

Honey from the western honey bee Apis mellifera L. pre-
sently dominates the world trade market. Honey is,
however, produced by a large number of social insect
species in the order Hymenoptera, including wasps, ants
and most especially bees in the family Apidae (Burgett,
1974; Burgett & Young, 1974; Michener, 1974; Wilson,
1971). The consumption of honey pre-dates human his-
tory (Crane, 1999). It has been suggested that the first
honeys incorporated into the human diet came from
stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in the neo-tropics of
Central and South America (Vit, Pedro, & Roubik, 2013)
several millennia in the past.
According to Codex (2001) and IHC (2009) honey
standards developed for the western honey bee, A. mel-
lifera, (moisture, ash, pH, acidity, electrical conductivity
(EC), diastase, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), and
ing honey quality. For stingless bee honey, there are no
published quality standards, although in a comprehensive
analysis (Souza et al., 2006) recommendations have been
put forward.
The physicochemistry of honey is best known for
the western honey bee (Crane, 1975, 1999; White,
1994; White, Riethof, Subers, & Kushnir, 1962). While
generally recognized as a stable product and capable of
long-term storage, the effects of time and temperature
can markedly reduce honey quality (Castro-Vazquez,
Diaz-Maroto, Gonzalez-Vinas, de la Fuente, & Perez-
Coello, 2008; White et al., 1962). From the view point
of honey as a product in the world trade market, quality
is the most frequently measured using several parame-
ters including the presence of HMF and the enzyme
diastase, although the use of diastase as a metric for

*Corresponding author. Email: bajaree@yahoo.com

© 2016 International Bee Research Association

 2 B. Chuttong et al.
honey quality has been questioned (White, 1994). The
presence of HMF is felt to be a reflection of heat expo-
sure over longer term storage (Ajlouni & Sujirapinyokul,
2010; Fallico, Zappala, Arena, & Verzera, 2004; White,
Kushnir, & Subers, 1964).
In a cosmopolitan sense, stingless bee honey produc-
tion and consumption have historically been highly local-
ized. From a commercial perspective, international trade
in meliponine honey is miniscule relative to honey from
A. mellifera. However, an international trade market,
albeit small, has developed for stingless bee honey
(Chuttong, Chanbang, & Burgett, 2014; Guzman, Balboa,
Vandame, Albores, & Gonzalez-Acereto, 2011).
Thailand is known to possess 32 species of stingless
bees (Rasmussen, 2008), of which ca. Five species are
managed both for the pollination benefit and the extrac-
tion of honey. For those stingless bee species that are
involved in Thai meliponiculture, one species complex
(T. laeviceps-pagdeni) is the most frequently encountered
Downloaded by [Dr Bajaree Chuttong] at 10:31 13 June 2016
(Chuttong et al., 2014). While the physicochemistry of
stingless bee honey is much less studied than the west-
ern honey bee, there is a developing literature, largely
from stingless bee species of the neo-tropics, which
addresses honey quality issues (Vit et al., 2013). One
major objective of stingless bee honey research is to
see the creation of national and international standards,
which presently do not exist.
As stated by Menezes, Vollet-Neto, Contrera, Ven-
turieri, and Imperatriz-Fonseca (2013), there is a near
absence of studies that analyze the changes in stingless
bee honey over the course of time and is necessary for
understanding changes in honey physicochemistry result-
ing from longer term storage. It is this specific issue we
address with this research on the physicochemical
changes occurring in stingless bee honey over time and
at three temperature storage regimes. For our analyses,
we have chosen honey from one stingless bee species
complex (T. laeviceps-pagdeni) as it presently dominates
stingless bee honey production in Thailand.
Material and methods
Sample collection
Honey samples of the stingless bee species complex T.
laeviceps-pagdeni were collected from stingless bee colo-
nies in both natural nests and managed hives within the
three Thai provinces of Chiang Mai, Chanthaburi, and
Trat. Sample collections took place during 2013. Honey
storage pots were pierced with a sharp tool, and the
honey was strained via gravity through fine cloth
(gauze). Alternately, syringe extraction of individual and
collective honey pots was done. Honey samples were
immediately stored at 4˚ C in sealed glass jars kept in
the dark. A total of 5 kg of honey was field collected
from 50 stingless bee colonies from the provinces of
Chiang Mai, Chanthaburi, and Trat. Individual samples
represent honey pooled from several colonies in each
of the three Thai provinces (n = 10; Chiang Mai 3,
Chanthaburi 5, Trat 2).
Treatments
Each of the 10 honey samples was divided into seven
50 g aliquots; one portion being devoted to immediate
physicochemical analysis (in natura). The remaining 6
portions were assigned to 3 constant temperatures (4,
30 and 45˚ C) and 2 storage times (6 and 12 months).
Honey samples were held in incubators/environmental
chambers maintained at the 3 temperatures (Sanyo
Incubator MIR-153).
Analytical methods
The following honey parameters were examined: mois-
ture (g/100 g), ash (g/100 g), EC (mS/cm), pH, total acid-
ity (mEq/kg), diastase (Schade units), HMF (mg/kg) and
the individual carbohydrates fructose, glucose, maltose
and sucrose (g/100 g). Analytical methods follow those
of AOAC. All analyses were performed in duplicate.
Moisture (AOAC method 919.38, 2006) was deter-
mined by refractometry, using an Atago (Japan) model
N-3E hand held refractometer. All measurements were
performed at 20 ˚C. Ash content (AOAC method
920.181, 2006) was measured by placing a crucible in a
100 ˚C oven for one hour. After cooling, it was
weighed. Aliquots of 5 g of honey were placed into the
crucible and then incinerated in Muffle furnace at
500 ˚C to constant weight (overnight) and then
reweighed. Ash percentage was calculated. For measur-
ing EC (IHC, 2009), a solution of 20 g dry matter of
honey in 100 ml of distilled water was measured using
an EC cell (Cyberscan waterproof (Singapore) model
PC300 Series digital conductometer). For pH and total
acidity (AOAC method 962.19, 2006), total acidity was
determined by the titrimetric method. Ten g of honey
was dissolved in 75 ml of distilled water, and this solu-
tion was titrated with .05 M NaOH solution until the
pH reached 8.5. Ten ml of .05 M NaOH was added
immediately, and back-titrated with .05 M HCl solution
until the pH reached 8.3 (lactone acidity) to determine
the acidity. A Cyberscan waterproof (Singapore) model
PC300 Series digital pH meter was used to measure pH.
Diastase activity (AOAC method 958.09, 2006) was
determined by placing 5 g of honey into a 20-ml beaker
and diluting with 10 ml of distilled water and 2.5 ml of
acetate buffer (1.59 M, pH 5.3). It was transferred to a
25-ml volumetric flask containing 1.5 ml of .5 M NaCl
solution. Ten ml of honey solution was incubated in a
thermostatic bath at 40 ˚C along with a second flask
containing 100 ml of 1% (w/v) starch solution. After
5 min, 5 ml of starch solution was added to the honey
solution. After 5 min, 1 ml of the mixture was mixed
with 10 ml of .0007 M diluted iodine solution, and
measured at 660 nm in a spectrophotometer (Shimadzu

UV-1601 UV/VIS, Japan) compared with a water blank.
A plot of absorbance against time was used to deter-
mine the time at which the specified absorbance of .235
was reach.
HMF contents in honey were determined according
to AOAC method 980.23, 2006 by High performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to UV spec-
trometry. A 5% (w/v) solution of honey in distilled
water and filtered through .45 m filter paper and
injected into HPLC system (Shimadzu, Kyoto, Japan),
which was equipped with a LC-10AD VP pump, a 7125
Rheodyne injector, SCL 10 AVP system controller, a
diode array detector SPD-M10A, and class VP controller
software. Isocratic elution was performed on a
reversed-phase Ultra aqueous C18 column (5 m,
250 4.6 mm) (Restex, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, USA),
using as mobile phase methanol-water (10:90, v/v) at a
flow rate of 1.2 ml/min. The injection volume was 20 l,
the column temperature 25 ˚C and the detection at
Downloaded by [Dr Bajaree Chuttong] at 10:31 13 June 2016
280 nm. (Mendes, Proença, Ferreira, & Ferreira, 1998).
Honey sugar contents (fructose, glucose, maltose,
and sucrose) were determined according to AOAC
method 977.20, 2006 by HPLC coupled to refractive
Index detector (RID). A 5% (w/v) solution of honey in
distilled water and filtered through .45 m filter paper
and injected into HPLC system (Shimadzu, Kyoto,
Japan), which was equipped with a LC-10AD pump,
CBM-10A system controller, a RID-10A RID coupled to
a computer with class LC10 controller software. For
the determination of sugars, an Inersil NH2 column
(5 m, 250 4.6 mm) (GL science Inc., Japan), mobile
phase with HPLC acetonitrile/water (72:25) was used at
a flow rate 1 ml/min, with an oven temperature of
40 ˚C (Mendes et al., 1998).
Statistical analysis
Comparative data were subjected to the Duncan’s mul-
tiple-range test (Statistica 6.0) to determine the signifi-
cance between time and temperature treatments.
Results
The physiochemical and organoleptic qualities of honey
are predominated by the nectar resources gathered by
colony foragers (Crane, 1975). Additional factors exert-
ing influence are biogeographic, climate, and annual sea-
sonality. Angiosperms produce nectar for the function
of attracting pollinators and plant species have been
shown exhibit qualitative differences in nectar con-
stituents most especially the carbohydrates (Crane,
1975). Therefore, a given honey from a stingless bee
species represents a chemical profile uniquely represent-
ing the botanical resources, climate, and time of year
when the bees elaborated the nectars to honey within
the confines of the colony environment. No single
honey analysis can be said to completely represent the
variability in chemical complexity.
Long term storage of stingless bee honey 3
T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey in natura
Our analyses (Table 1) provide the summary of the
baseline analysis of fresh T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey for
all parameters measured. Relative to established national
and international standards set for the western honey
bee A. mellifera, honey from T. laeviceps-pagdeni is higher
in moisture, acidity, and ash; lower in fructose, glucose,
and diastase. The disaccharide maltose is present in
higher concentrations, frequently being the dominant
carbohydrate.
Treatment effects
Tables 2 and 3 present the results of treatment effects
on T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey. For the parameters of
moisture, ash, EC, and total acidity, the effects of time
temperature storage reveal no statistically significant dif-
ferences (Table 2) For pH, significance is shown by the
effect of time (p < .01) and time temperature (p < .05)
(Table 2 and Figure 1(a)). Total acidity is shown by the
effect of time only (p < .05) (Table 2 and Figure 1(a)).
Diastase displays statistical significance by the effect of
both time and temperature (p < .05) (Table 2 and Fig-
ure 2). HMF was the measure that displayed the most
dramatic effects of time and temperature and showed a
high degree of statistical significance (p < .01) for both
time and temperature. The HMF level after 12 months
of storage at 45 ˚C was amplified from the fresh honey
HMF average by a factor of 171 (Table 2). From the
analyses of fructose, glucose, and maltose, the effects of
temperature and storage time revealed no statistically
significant changes (Table 3 and Figure 3). Sucrose was
detected only in the fresh honey samples at a low level
(.95 mg/kg) and was undetected following all time and
temperature treatments.
Discussion
Our observations are in general agreement with previ-
ous descriptions of stingless bee honey from both SE
Asia (Sawattham, Vaithanomsat, & Tadakittisarn, 2009;
Suntiparapop, Prapaipong, & Chantawannakul, 2012) and
the neo-tropics (Vit et al., 2013).
The value of the moisture content to the physical
properties of honey is related to shelf life (Bogdanov,
Ruoff, & Persano Oddo, 2004; Oddo & Piro, 2004). The
international standard of moisture content in A. mellifera
honey is not more than 20 g/100 g (Codex, 2001). For
stingless bee honey, a suggested moisture standard is
25 g/100 g (Souza et al., 2006). Stingless bee honey is
known to possess higher levels of moisture relative to
A. mellifera honey (Suntiparapop et al., 2012; Vit et al.,
2013). When using the western honey bee comparator,
our result for fresh T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey is charac-
terized as higher in moisture (24.7 ± 1.7 g/100 g); how-
ever, this is within the recommended standard for
stingless bee honey (Souza et al., 2006).
 4 B. Chuttong et al.

Table 1. Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni fresh honey sample analyses.

Diastase
Moisture EC Total acidity (Schade Fructose Glucose Maltose (g/ Sucrose Total Sugar
Location (g/100 g) Ash (g/100 g) (mS/cm) pH (mEq/kg) units) HMF (mg/kg) (g/100 g) (g/100 g) 100 g) (g/100 g) (g/100 g)

CM1 23.0 .98 2.1 3.3 118.0 4.8 56.2 15.3 11.2 40.6 ND 67.0
CM2 26.1 .64 1.5 3.5 109.0 1.1 5.9 13.0 9.3 44.6 ND 66.9
CM3 21.0 .69 1.3 3.9 105.0 1.7 36.0 12.2 6.8 53.3 ND 72.3
CH1 25.3 .28 .6 3.9 117.0 1.5 3.6 22.1 19.0 32.1 1.5 74.7
CH2 25.9 .31 .7 3.6 110.0 ND 27.0 24.0 21.2 25.8 1.3 72.3
CH3 25.8 .51 1.3 4.0 97.0 ND 66.0 29.1 27.1 11.7 .7 68.6
CH4 26.8 .16 .8 3.4 115.5 ND 2.2 22.2 21.7 29.1 ND 73.0
CH5 23.7 .26 .6 3.9 110.0 .8 6.7 23.4 22.1 26.3 .3 72.1
TR1 24.9 .26 .7 4.1 91.0 4.6 68.8 22.2 19.3 29.9 ND 71.4
TR2 24.5 .28 .7 3.6 78.5 ND 58.0 18.0 16.5 39.8 ND 74.3
Average ± SD 24.7 ± 1.7 .44 ± .26 1.0 ± .5 3.7 ± .3 105.1 ± 12.7 2.4 ± 1.8 33.0 ± 27.5 20.2 ± 5.4 17.4 ± 6.4 33.3 ± 11.7 1.0 ± .5 71.3 ± 2.8

Notes: CM = Chiang Mai province (3 samples), CH = Chanthaburi province (5 samples), TR = Trat province (2 samples), ND = Not detected.

Ash and EC are parameters related to the mineral nized standards for A. mellifera honey. But our results
content in honey (Bogdanov et al., 2004). The average fall in the same range of 45.06–190.90 mEq/kg for Plebeia
Downloaded by [Dr Bajaree Chuttong] at 10:31 13 June 2016

ash content of our fresh T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey is
.44 ± .26 g/100 g with a range of .16–.98. The results
reveal a higher level than A. mellifera honey (.17 g/100 g)
(White et al., 1962) and higher than the ash content
previously reported for T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey (.22
± .08 g/100 g) (Chuttong, Chanbang, Sringarm, & Bur-
gett, 2016) and T. laeviceps honey (.33 ± .03 g/100 g)
(Suntiparapop et al., 2012) from Thailand and other stin-
gless bee species, i.e., Melipona favosa (.10 ± .02) (Vit,
2013) from Venezuela. Souza et al. (2006) list the values
of ash content for stingless bee honey at .01–1.18
g/100 g with our results falling in that range. The result
for EC of the fresh stingless bee honey (1.0 ± .5 mS/cm)
is higher than that reported by Suntiparapop et al.
(2012) (.71 mS/cm); Guerrini et al. (2009) (.48 ±
.06 mS/cm) for stingless bee honeys from Thailand and
Ecuador, respectively. The botanical origin of honey is
regularly classified into blossom and honeydew honey
and the difference of the EC values are possibly due to
the differences in the botanical origin of honey (Bog-
danov, Halbimann, Luginbuh, & Gallmann, 2007). Our
honey samples are multifloral honey collected from two
geographical (north and southeast regions) of Thailand.
EC is correlated to the ash and acid content of honey.
With increases in ash and acidity, there is an expected
corresponding increase in EC (Vorwohl, 1964).
Honey is an acidic medium with a pH range between
3.5 and 5.5. Both flavor and antimicrobial properties of
honey are influenced by the presence of organic acids in
honey (Bogdanov et al., 2004). In our finding, pH was
(3.7 ± .3) similar to the report of Suntiparapop et al.
(2012) (3.76 ± .01) for T. laeviceps honey but slightly
lower than reported by Vit et al. (2013) (3.9 ± .6) for
neo-tropical stingless bee honeys. Our samples, derived
from 50 separate stingless bee colonies, resulted in an
average acidity for fresh honey of 105.1 ± 12.7 mEq/kg
with a range of 78.5 to 118.0 mEq/kg which is higher
than reported for T. laeviceps honey (Suntiparapop et al.,
2012) (72.84 ± .61 mEq/kg) and higher than the recog-
wittmanni honey from Argentina (Sgariglia, Vattuone,
Vattuone, Soberón, & Sampietro, 2010).
For A. mellifera honey, diastase is considered useful as
an indicator for freshness (Babacan, Pivarnik, & Rand,
2002). The variability of the amounts of enzyme present
in honey and the influence of temperature on enzyme
activity has been the focus of research (Babacan et al.,
2002 Sancho, Muniategui, Huidobro, & Lozano, 1992;
White, 1994; White, Riethof, & Kushnir, 1961). The dias-
tase in honey originates from the saliva secretions of
bees (Stadelmeier & Bergner, 1986) and also relevant to
the particular enzymatic profile of each bee species
(Fuenmayor, Diaz-Moreno, Zuluaga-Dominguez, &
Quicazan, 2013). The enzymes are added by honey bee
during the collection and ripening of the nectar into
honey. Some nectar is obviously much thicker than
others, so they need less modification by the bees
(White, 1994). For stingless bee, honey diastase activity
is usually very low (Souza et al., 2006; Vit, Medina, &
Eunice Enrı́quez, 2004). Diastase levels in A. mellifera
honey exhibit large variation but the standard is not less
than 8 Schade units (Codex, 2001). White et al. (1962)
reported a range for A. mellifera honey from 3.1 to 22.2
Schade units. For stingless bee, honey diastase also varies
with a range of 2.4–21.3 Schade units and .9–23.0 Schade
units from the reports of Vit et al. (2013) and Souza
et al. (2006), respectively. Our observations of diastase
in fresh T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey showed a range of not
detected to 4.8 Schade units; when present, the average
diastase was (2.4 ± 1.8 Schade units). We did not detect
diastase in 3 of 5 honey samples from Chanthaburi and 1
of 2 samples from Trat (Honey samples from southeast
region of Thailand). Gonnet et al. (1964) cited in Vit,
Bogdanov, and Kilchenman (1994) also found no diastase
activity in stingless bee (Melipona) honeys.
HMF is the major quality factor used to evaluate the
heating history of honey. HMF is thought not to be pre-
sent in fresh A. mellifera honey as stored in the colony
(Bogdanov, Martin, & Lullmann, 1997; White, 1994). The
 Downloaded by [Dr Bajaree Chuttong] at 10:31 13 June 2016

Table 2. Treatment effects of time and temperature on the physicochemical composition of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey (N = 10).

Storage Moisture Ash EC Total acidity Diastase HMF

Storage time (months) temperature (˚C) (g/100 g) SD (g/100 g) SD (mS/cm) SD pH SD (mEq/kg) SD (Schade units) SD (mg/kg) SD
Fresh 24.7 1.7 .44 .3 1.04 .5 3.7a .3 105.1 12.7 2.4a 1.8 33.0c 27.5
6 4 24.8 2.0 .43 .3 1.19 .6 3.6ab .2 110.3 45.3 2.3a 1.7 35.1c 30.4
30 25.6 2.3 .42 .3 .20 .6 3.6ab .2 126.6 54.5 1.3ab 1.4 212.2c 87.0
45 25.4 1.9 .43 .3 1.16 .6 3.5ab .2 146.1 54.3 .4b .4 3,881.0b 1,023.7
12 4 24.7 1.9 .42 .3 .21 .6 3.6ab .2 117.3 36.6 2.2a 1.9 35.1c 30.7
30 25.5 1.9 .41 .3 1.21 .6 3.5ab .1 122.3 45.3 .5b .3 411.3c 166.4
45 25.4 1.7 .39 .2 1.16 .5 3.4b .1 147.2 53.6 .4b .5 5,667.5a 1,627.3
Storage time NS NS NS <.01 <.05 <.05 <.01
Storage temperature NS NS NS NS NS <.05 <.01
Time x temperature NS NS NS <.05 NS <.05 <.01
Notes: Column values that do not share a common letter are significantly different (Duncan’s Multiple Range Test). Columns without letters display no significant difference.
Long term storage of stingless bee honey
5
 6 B. Chuttong et al.

Table 3. Treatment effects of time and temperature on the carbohydrates of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey.

Storage time (months) Storage temperature (˚C) Fructose (g/100 g) SD Glucose (g/100 g) SD Maltose (g/100 g) SD
Fresh 20.2 5.4 17.4 6.4 33.3 11.7
6 4 19.6 5.4 16.6 6.7 31.4 10.7
30 19.3 4.8 16.5 7.1 28.8 9.2
45 18.7 4.6 14.9 7.1 25.6 7.2
12 4 18.2 4.9 15.1 6.3 31.1 10.8
30 17.8 4.0 14.7 6.1 27.6 9.1
45 17.7 3.8 14.2 6.3 26.8 7.9
Storage time NS NS NS
Storage temperature NS NS NS
Time x temperature NS NS NS

(a) 4 °C 30 °C 45° C (b) 180

3.7 4 °C 30 °C 45° C

total acidity (mEq/kg)

160
3.6
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140
pH

3.5
120
3.4
100

3.3 80
0 6 12 0 6 12
Storage time (months) Storage time (months)

Figure 1. Changes in pH and total acidity content of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey during the time and temperature storage
(N = 10).

3.0 4 °C 30 °C 45° C
in the hive also influence to HMF content. It has been
known for many years that HMF is produced from
2.5
simple sugars, especially fructose by the action of acid.
diastase (Schade unit)

2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
0 6
Storage time (months)
Figure 2. Changes in diastase of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni
honey during the time and temperature storage (N = 6).
Codex (2001) standard for A. mellifera honey specifies
that the HMF content shall not be more than 40 mg/kg
with the exception of honeys originating from tropical
regions, not more than 80 mg/kg. White et al. (1964)
report the HMF content increases during storage at rel-
atively low temperatures, indicating that honey from
subtropical regions could naturally have high HMF
content without being overheated or adulterated. White
(1994) suggests that the time and temperature condi-
tions during the ripening and maintaining of the honey
Vit et al. (1994) state the high water content and acidity
values could increase the HMF content to a greater
level than A. mellifera honey. For our fresh T. laeviceps-
pagdeni honey, the HMF averaged 33.0 ± 27.5 mg/kg
with a range of 2.2–68.8 mg/kg which is higher than
reported for T. laeviceps honey from Thailand (.25
± .04 mg/kg) Suntiparapop et al. (2012). Souza et al.
12 (2006) report HMF content of stingless bee honey with
a range of .4–78.5 mg/kg. The variation of HMF content
in honey would be influenced by the time and
temperature condition of honey stored in hive prior to
harvesting.
Carbohydrates are the major component of honey.
The Codex (2001) standard for A. mellifera honey sets a
criterion for fructose and glucose of ≥60 g/100 g. For
stingless bee honey, Vit et al. (2013) reported a range
of 29.7–77.8 g/100 g of fructose and glucose from sting-
less bee honeys of the neo-tropics. Our observations of
fresh T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey show it to be lower in
fructose and glucose with an average fructose content
of 20.2 ± 5.4 g/100 g with a range of 12.2–29.1 g/100 g
and the glucose average being 17.4 ± 6.4 g/100 g with a
range of 6.8–27.1 g/100 g. These data are lower than

(a) 21
20
fructose (g/100g)
19
18
17
16
15
14
13
0 6
Storage time (months)
(c) 34 4 °C 30 °C
32
maltose (g/100g)
30
28
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26
24
0 6
Storage time (months)
Figure 3. Changes in carbohydrates content of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey during the time and temperature storage
(N = 10).
those reported for T. laeviceps honey (Suntiparapop
et al., 2012) and for A. mellifera honey (White et al.,
1962). Our findings for all 10 T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey
samples present values below the standard of A. mellifera
honey. Our honey samples exhibit much higher levels of
maltose which averaged 33.3 ± 11.7 g/100 g with a range
of 11.7–53.3 g/100 g than those reported for A. mellifera
honeys, or from T. carbonaria from Australia (20.3
± 2.9 g/100 g) (Oddo et al., 2008). For stingless bee
honeys from the neo-tropics, maltose is reported to
range from 2.5 to 32.2 g/100 g (Vit et al., 2013). For A.
mellifera honey, many honeydew honeys have high
amount of non-reducing oligosaccharides (Bogdanov
et al., 1999). The maltose found in honey does not orig-
inate in the nectar but after the action of transglycosyla-
tion enzymes added by bees (Low, Nelson, & Sporns,
1988). Bogdanov and Vit (unpubl. Data) cited in Vit
et al. (1994) found maltose was also the dominant sugar
(32.2 ± 11.4 g/100 g) in 8 samples of Frieseomelitta
honeys from Venezuela. Vit, Fernandez-Maeso, and
Ortiz-Valbuena (1998) studied the three frequently
occurring sugars (fructose, glucose, and maltose) in stin-
gless bee honey to predict the entomological origin; it
was found that the maltose content was very high in
Terragonisca angustula, Frieseomelitta nigra pauper,
Fieseomelitta aff. Varia, and Nannotrigona sp. honeys
(23.96–56.39 g/100 g) and very low in Melipona sp.
honeys (.88–2.02 g/100 g). This study suggests maltose
could be a useful marker to identify the entomological
Long term storage of stingless bee honey 7
(b) 21
4 °C
20
30 °C
19
45° C
glucose (g/100g)
18
17
4 °C 16
30 °C 15
14
45° C
13
12 0 6 12
Storage time (months)
45° C
12
origin of meliponine honey at the genus level. There-
fore, this difference is considered to be bee-related.
Our result shows a lower level of sucrose when
compared to Suntiparapop et al. (2012) (19.45 ± .12
g/100 g). When present, sucrose averaged 1.0 ± .5
g/100 g and ranged from not detected (6 of 10 honey
samples) to 1.5 g/100 g which is slightly lower than Tet-
ragonula carbonaria honey (1.8 ± .4 g/100 g) from Aus-
tralia (Oddo et al., 2008).
In general, the quality of honey decreases with time
and temperature storage. These conditions can impose
an effect on the physicochemical and organoleptic char-
acteristics of honey (Castro-Vazquez et al., 2008).
For both temperature and time effects, moisture
displayed no statistical significance. When stored at 4 ˚C
for 6 and 12 months moisture was stable. When stored
at 30 and 45 ˚C for 6 months, there was a very small
incremental trend upward (Figure 4(a)). Our results
exhibit a similar moisture trend to that reported by
Castro-Vazquez et al. (2008) for A. mellifera honey from
Spain.
In our trials, ash levels increased under all conditions
but were so slight that no significant differences
were shown for time or temperature (Table 2 and
Figure 4(b)). EC is influenced by mineral and acid con-
tent of honey, i.e., EC increases with increasing ash and
acidity (Codex, 1993). In stored A. mellifera honey, the
EC is frequently higher when compared to fresh honey
(Castro-Vazquez et al., 2008). The EC revealed a small
 8 B. Chuttong et al.
(a) moisture (g/100g)
26 4 °C 30 °C
25
24
0 6
Storage time (months)
(b) 0.50 4 °C 30 °C
ash (g/100g)
0.45
0.40
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0.35
0 6
Storage time (months)
Figure 4. Changes in moisture, ash, and electrical conductivity content of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey during the time and
temperature storage (N = 10).
upward trend over our treatment times and tempera-
tures (Table 2 and Figure 4(c)), however, no statistical
significance was shown for either time or temperature,
which is dissimilar to reports for EC from A. mellifera
honey (Castro-Vazquez et al., 2008).
Under our experimental treatments, pH showed a
significant downward trend with increasing time (Table 2
and Figure 1(a)) which is in contrast to reports for A.
mellifera honey during storage (Castro-Vazquez et al.,
2008; Gulati & Kumari, 2005; Moreira, De Maria,
Pietroluongo, & Trugo, 2007). Stingless bee honey is
characterized as being more acidic when compared to
honey from the western honey bee. While the acidity
did increase with time and temperature, it was statisti-
cally significant for time but not temperature (Table 2
and Figure 1(b)). Our findings are in agreement with
those of Castro-Vazquez et al. (2008) who show a
significant increase in acidity over time for A. mellifera
honey.
Storage and heating are known to affect the diastase
activity in honey (Bogdanov et al., 1997). Our results
reveal a significant downward trend of diastase during
time and temperature storage which is not similar to
the reports of Castro-Vazquez et al. (2008); Sahinler
and Gul (2005) (Table 2 and Figure 2). Diastase in our
honey samples stored at 4 ˚C was slightly decreased at
6 and 12 months and averaged 2.3 ± 1.7 Schade units
and 2.0 ± 1.9 Schade units, respectively. The diastase of
45° C
12
45° C (c) 1.3 4 °C 30 °C 45° C
electrical conductivity (mS/cm)
1.2
1.1
1.0
12 0 6 12
Storage time (months)
honey stored at 30 ˚C for 6 and 12 months also
decreased continuously. The largest change in diastase
was honey stored at 45 ˚C for 12 months (.4 ± .5
Schade units). Diastase when stored at 4 ˚C for 6 and
12 months decreased by 6 and 16% relative to fresh
honey. At 30 and 45 ˚C of storage, diastase at 6 and
12 months was diminished by 45 and 78%; 80 and 82%,
respectively. When we observed the individual fresh
honey samples, the levels of diastase in fresh honey
samples were not associated with the HMF content.
Some honey samples where HMF was not detected or
showed low levels of diastase then show high level of
HMF following storage and temperature exposure.
Honey samples showing higher levels of diastase
displayed high levels of HMF.
In honey, HMF is produced from simple sugars,
especially fructose, by acidification over time (Bogdanov
et al., 1997; White, 1994). HMF is influenced by time,
temperature storage, and pH (White et al., 1962). Previ-
ous reports of HMF for presumed fresh stingless bee
honeys from South America give a range of not
detected to 25 mg/kg (Vit et al., 2013, appendix 1) and
not detected to 78.5 mg/kg (Souza et al., 2006, Table 2).
In our observations, HMF was the parameter most
affected by time and temperature treatments. As fresh,
T. laeviceps-pagdeni honey HMF varied from 2.2 to
68.8 mg/kg (Table 1). Honey stored at 4 ˚C for both 6
and 12 months show the smallest change in HMF. When

200
180
160
140 y = 0.0403x - 61.743
Acidity (mEq/kg)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
0 2,000 4,000
HMF (mg/kg)
Figure 5. Correlation in changes of total acidity and HMF
content of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey during 45 ˚C
storage for 6 months (r = .7491; n = 7).
200
180
160 y = 0.0209x - 18.241
Downloaded by [Dr Bajaree Chuttong] at 10:31 13 June 2016
140
Acidity (mEq/kg)
120
100
80
60
40
20
0 Acknowledgments
0 2,000 4,000
HMF (mg/kg)
Figure 6. Correlation in changes of total acidity and HMF
content of Tetragonula laeviceps-pagdeni honey during 45 ˚C
storage for 12 months (r = .6200; n = 7).
we observed the correlation of individual samples of
honey stored for 6 and 12 months, our results show
the trend of correlation in changes of acidity and HMF.
Three honey samples collected from Chiang Mai pro-
vince located in the north of Thailand show the trend
of correlation between total acidity and HMF; these
honey samples when stored at 45 ˚C had the highest
change in total acidity also show the greatest change in
HMF. For 7 honey samples collected from Chanthaburi
and Trat provinces located in the southeast Thailand,
the results corresponded to the honey samples from
Chiang Mai but showed a tremendous change in total
acidity and HMF when stored at 45 ˚C for 6 and
12 months (Figures 5 and 6). Following time and tem-
perature treatments, HMF rose to the highest of 78.32,
744.52, and 7551.02 mg/kg for honey after 12 months of
storage at 4, 30, and 45 ˚C, respectively. Our results
correspond to Fallico et al. (2004) in their study of A.
mellifera honey during heat treatment of 100 ˚C for
60 h, the HMF of eucalyptus honey rose from not
detected to 13,651 mg/kg. Our results also agree to
those of Castro-Vazquez et al. (2008) in their study of
A. mellifera honey where their storage time and temper-
atures were similar to ours; however, their reported
HMF increase at their longest storage (12 mo.) and
highest temperature (40 ˚C) was markedly lower from
Long term storage of stingless bee honey 9
our results. The results differ from those of Biluca et al.
(2014) who found HMF to be absent from fresh sting-
less bee honey (species not given) from Brazil and was
generated only under a condition of 75 ˚C for 24 h. We
assume that the higher total acidity of T. laeviceps-
pagdeni fresh honey would be a significant influence in
the dramatic HMF increase we observed over increasing
time and temperature.
6,000 While displaying no statistical significance, the
monosaccharides (fructose and glucose) and the disac-
charide maltose did experience a downward trend over
time (Figure 2) which was more pronounced with an
increase in temperature. Stingless bee honey stored at
45 ˚C exhibited the largest, albeit small reductions, in
fructose, glucose, and maltose. Our result is similar to
the report of Castro-Vazquez et al. (2008) where
A. mellifera honey stored at 10, 20, and 40 ˚C for
12 months shows a decrease in fructose and glucose.
However, these findings for stingless bee honey are con-
trary to the report of White et al. (1961) which showed
prolonged storage to increase invert sugars (fructose and
glucose).
6,000 8,000
The authors wish to thank the Science and Technology
Research Institute, Chiang Mai University for financial support
to the senior author. We gratefully thank all the meliponicul-
turists who assisted us in the collection of stingless bee honey
samples and also the Agriculture Occupation Promotion and
Development Center, (Bees) (DOAE) in Chanthaburi for their
collaboration with our field research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Funding
This work was supported by the Science and Technology
Research Institute, Chiang Mai University to the senior author.
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